


Christmas by firelight

by Fredd8



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Negaverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 23:37:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17151191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fredd8/pseuds/Fredd8
Summary: In the Negaverse, Gosalyn spends a very lonely Christmas...





	Christmas by firelight

It had been two days. Just two days where she had been playing in the snow with Tank. Drinking hot chocolate with her family. Talking about how they were going to celebrate Christmas. Hanging up decorations and stockings and baking cookies for Santa. Two days before she was dragged back into the nightmare world she had almost forgotten.

Raising a hand, Gosalyn gingerly knocked on the door of a house.

"Please... can you let me in? I-it's so cold out here..."

No one came to the door. Soon, Gosalyn knew she had to move on. Turning dejectedly, she continued to trudge down the snow-covered, deserted street, occasionally knocking on each door, hoping against hope that someone would give her shelter... but no one came to answer her. She tried to keep hopeful, even though it was hard. But it wasn't fair... it was Christmas Eve!

Maybe they just weren't home. Maybe they were too scared. Understandable... it had been a very unpleasant shock when their tyrant had suddenly returned.

 He'd found a way back, a way out of Oblivion, and got rid of the Friendly Four. Took his place back as ruler of the Negaverse again with little resistance. It was so quick... some people still had a hard time processing what had just happened.

It was clear, however, the only one who would be getting a Christmas present this year would be Negaduck.

"Whoa-" something caught around her leg, and the little red-headed girl pitched face-first into the snow.

"Hello, Pinkie."

Gosalyn stiffened slightly and turned around. Standing before her was Honker, smiling smugly.

He'd been merciless when he dealt with Tank. His own brother. However, despite it all... she still could not bring herself to hate him. She could not even hate Negaduck, even when he killed them. Killed them in front of her, one by one.

"Looking for something?" Honker drawled, and held up a black object. It took her a moment to realise what it was.

"My shoe!" she gasped and tried to scramble to her feet. "Please, give it ba-"

With another tug on the chain wrapped around her ankle, she fell again, causing Honker to laugh in amusement. "Look at you! You're so pathetic, it's almost sad! Why don't you run crying to your friends? Oh, wait..."

As the young goose burst into laughter again, Gosalyn tried to pull her ankle loose, tears forming in her eyes, already threatening to freeze. Eventually, Honker did free her, only to wrench off her other shoe and run off with them, waving them as if they were trophies, leaving her in the snow.

She once thought snow was beautiful. It was such a nice surprise from the usual heatwaves living in the Negaverse brought. But now, all she could see was the harsh, unforgiving weather biting into her skin and into her bones, and now, her bare, unprotected feet. Shivering, she drew the thin coat around herself closer, although it barely protected her from the chill. She debated going back home... but... but... she could not bear looking at the heads. And both Negaduck and Launchpad had made it clear she didn't belong there, and they didn't care. Still, perhaps running away while her emotions were running high was not a good idea, as she had only taken a ragged coat with her, and... matches.

A cold breeze prompted her to get to her feet and rush to the nearest alley. It was still cold, but she was spared from the wind, for now. Pressing herself into a corner, she curled up, hoping to hide from the cold. Now was probably a great time to use those matches.

Her cold, numb fingers fumbled at the box, nearly dropping the precious sticks of wood. It was hard enough to take them out... even harder to strike against the tinder, but she was soon enjoying the warm little light that danced on the tip of the match. She huddled around it, keeping her other hand cupped around the dancing flame as her emerald green eyes gazed at it eagerly. It always interested her how fire could be terrible or beautiful depending on how it was used.

Speaking of...

A crackling sound drew her attention to the scene before her, and her eyes widened slightly as a fire roared before her, wild, but content to rest in... the fireplace! The fireplace she and Quackerjack and Megavolt decorated, with toys, dolls and stockings and fairy lights and tinsel and glitter...

Without thinking, she started to reach for the warmth of the hearth, when another wind blew by, blowing out her match. Right before her eyes, the fireplace disappeared. She let out a gasp of surprise and disappointment; she had been dreaming. Of course she had been. And her only source of warmth had already died out.

Pulling out another match, she struck it, throwing the cold, dark alley into another warm glow, giving her relief.

It took her a while to register that smell. It wasn't from the burning wood, that was for sure. And it made her so hungry...

Where the imaginary fireplace stood, a large table now took its place, laden with Christmas dinner. Not just any Christmas dinner, the very one she had planned to make with Liquidator and Bushroot, with a whole roast chicken and mashed potatoes and sausages and bread and salad and pumpkin soup, and a chocolate pie with ice cream for dessert! It all looked and smelt so good...

But, once again, as she reached over to get some food, the flame disappeared, plunging her back into darkness.

She started to get upset. Who was doing this to her? Why did they enjoy tormenting her with things she lost?

 _Why do you keep trying to hope for something better when you know things are just gonna get worse?_  Negaduck's cruel words rang in her mind and she covered her eyes and started to cry.

Soon, it was becoming too cold for her again. She was afraid to light another match. What if she saw something again? What if it disappeared again? However, her need for warmth won over her fear, and she soon lit another match, closing her eyes tightly.

"Don't look, Gos..." she whispered to herself. "It isn't real. It isn't. A-and it'll go away soon..."

She wasn't going to look up. But she thought she heard voices. Calling her name. What she saw next pained her tremendously.

"Megavolt? Quackerjack? Liquidator and Bushroot...?" she whispered softly as four very familiar figures stood before her, smiling and waving at her happily, beckoning her over.

"N-no... you're... you're not real... I saw you die, you aren't real..." she choked out, even as she started to get to her feet to walk towards them. The motion caused the fire in her hand to flicker, and almost immediately, the figures started to dim. Her eyes widened. "No... NO! DON'T LEAVE ME, PLEASE!"

The fire was dying out. She knew she could not reach them in time before it happened. Taking out every single match from the box, she struck them against the tinder, fire sparking to life. When she turned her gaze back to the Friendly Four, they were glowing brighter than ever, smiling and laughing and crying as she ran into their arms eagerly. She missed them so much...

"Please... take me away... take me with you..."

They did not respond, but she knew, from the way they held her, they were never letting go again.

 She was home. Finally.

\---

The next morning, Negaduck found her. He kicked the ground in frustration, sending snow everywhere and onto the cold, hardened corpse. Apparently, instead of using a dumpster fire or breaking into a warmeer place, the stupid brat thought it would be a good idea to keep herself warm with matches. Imagine that.

He gazed at her as his fists clenched and unclenched, then he turned his head to the sky with a loud howl of frustration and agony, causing nearby citizens and thugs alike to shiver in their shoes, for the first time not caused by the cold.

A storm was settling in. He could not leave her here. Someone else would likely take her, and he couldn't allow that.

As he closed the distance, he noticed something else incredibly stupid. She still had a small, content smile on her beak. She must have been dreaming when she went. Pffft. Pathetic, yet fitting.

Pulling off his cape, he swept it around the dead little girl and carefully swaddled her. He then turned and walked away. Normally, the Lord of the Negaverse loved to make his presence known, but today, he simply disappeared into the darkness with his small bundle. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic in a long time! Hope you enjoy it! And yes, I was inspired by The Little Match Girl!


End file.
